Children's Centre Census 2013

Yesterday the <a href="http://www.4children.org.uk/" target="_blank">4Children</a> charity published <i>Children's Centre Census 2013</i>. This document tries to present a detailed picture of the current state of children's centres in the UK, and claims that over a million families are now making use of these facilities. To read the census, <a href="http://www.4children.org.uk/Files/db76a8fc-5a38-48fd-b4c5-a2650112b3a9/Children_Centre_Census_2013.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Children's Centre Census 2013

Yesterday the 4Children charity published Children's Centre Census 2013. This document tries to present a detailed picture of the current state of children's centres in the UK, and claims that over a million families are now making use of these facilities. To read the census, click here.…

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The Impact of Fostering

An interesting new publication from the University of Oxford examines an area that perhaps rarely receives attention. <a href="http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ReesCentreReview_ImpactOfFosteringOnCarersChildren.pdf" target="_blank"><i>The Impact of Fostering on Foster Carers’ Children</i></a> argues that when foster children enter a new family, it is in fact the whole of the host family that fosters, and so the existing children of the foster parents also have an important role to play in this process. The research was carried out by <a href="http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank">The Rees Centre for Research in Fostering and Education</a>, which has also released several other freely available reports.<br /><br />For further reading on fostering, <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/foster-care-fortnight.html" target="_blank">this previous post</a> contains a number of suggestions (most of the links still work!), or you may want to look at the NFER's 2012 report: <a href="http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/LGFR01/LGFR01.pdf" target="_blank"><i>The Experiences of Fostering and Adoption Processes: the Views of Children and Young People</i></a>.

The Impact of Fostering

An interesting new publication from the University of Oxford examines an area that perhaps rarely receives attention. The Impact of Fostering on Foster Carers’ Children argues that when foster children enter a new family, it is in fact the whole of the host family that fosters, and so the existing c…

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International Reports

3 separate recently published international reports have popped up in my feeds today, which seems as good an excuse as any for a themed blog post.<br /><ul><li>The European Commission has published <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/files/documents/130910_egge_out_of_school_en.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Childcare Services for School Aged Children</i></a>, which compares provision across 33 different countries.</li></ul><ul><li> On a similar note, the Commission has also recently updated <a href="http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/facts_and_figures/education_structures_EN.pdf" target="_blank"><i>The Structure of the European Education Systems</i></a>, which provides an easy to view breakdown of the different systems in use across the continent.</li></ul><ul><li> The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation has just published <a href="http://www.3ieimpact.org/media/filer/2013/09/10/wp_20.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Quality Education for All Children? What Works in Education in Developing Countries</i></a>.</li></ul> If you're interested in international children's issues, other recent reports which may interest you include the DfE's <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212564/DFE-RR269.pdf" target="_blank"><i>A Comparison of International Childcare Systems</i></a>, the OECD's <a href="http://www.oecd.org/edu/eag2013%20%28eng%29--FINAL%2020%20June%202013.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Education At a Glance 2013</i></a>, and UNICEF's <a href="http://www.unicef.org/sowc2013/files/SWCR2013_ENG_Lo_res_24_Apr_2013.pdf" target="_blank"><i>The State of the World's Children 2013</i></a>.

International Reports

3 separate recently published international reports have popped up in my feeds today, which seems as good an excuse as any for a themed blog post.The European Commission has published Childcare Services for School Aged Children, which compares provision across 33 different countries. On a similar no…

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They Took Us to the Sea

If you have 25 minutes to spare, today's post is a real treat. Below is <i>They Took Us to the Sea</i>, a charming but also very moving 1963 film made to promote the work of the <a href="http://www.nspcc.org.uk/" target="_blank">NSPCC</a>. The clip follows a group of disadvantaged children from Birmingham on a day's outing to Weston-Super-Mare, from their arrival at Snow Hill station (which has changed a bit!) to their return home. Some of the featured children probably still live in Birmingham today...<br /><br />Don't forget that you can view a list of all posts containing similar items by clicking on 'Educational Films' in the Hot Topics menu on the right hand side of this page. <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/miP88I10MVo" width="420"></iframe>

They Took Us to the Sea

If you have 25 minutes to spare, today's post is a real treat. Below is They Took Us to the Sea, a charming but also very moving 1963 film made to promote the work of the NSPCC. The clip follows a group of disadvantaged children from Birmingham on a day's outing to Weston-Super-Mare, from their arri…

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EYFS Results

Today sees the release of the first set of results for the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile, which was introduced in September last year. Given the different nature of the new Profile, it's very difficult to make comparisons with results from previous years, but some of the main points are that 52% of children were deemed to have achieved a good level of development, with girls outscoring boys (60% vs 40%).<br /><br />You can read the results in full by <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/252223/SFR43_2013_Text.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.<br /><br />On the same day, Ofsted have released their latest figures on childcare providers and places - these are <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/statistics/r/Registered%20childcare%20providers%20and%20places%20in%20England%20September%202013%20-%20key%20findings.pdf">available here</a>.

EYFS Results

Today sees the release of the first set of results for the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile, which was introduced in September last year. Given the different nature of the new Profile, it's very difficult to make comparisons with results from previous years, but some of the main point…

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The Right to Play

The Bernard van Leer Foundation (see <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/bernard-van-leer-foundation.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> for details)has just published the latest edition in its <i>Early Childhood in Focus</i> series. The new publication is entitled <i>The Right to Play</i>, and contains "<span>short summaries of theory, research and policy issues that can inform the implementation of Article 31 of the UN Convention on Children's Rights" - <a href="http://bernardvanleer.org/The-Right-to-Play?pubnr=1849&download=1">click here</a> to read it in full.</span><br /><span><br /></span><span>I have also just noticed that the Foundation's magazine <i>Early Childhood Matters</i> now has its <a href="http://www.earlychildhoodmagazine.org/" target="_blank">own dedicated website</a>, where you can read articles for free. The magazine has an international focus, and one item that caught my eye was a <a href="http://vps.earlychildhoodmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/4-ECMnr120_A-Vygotskian-perspective.pdf" target="_blank">recent article</a> about Vygotsky and child development - very useful if you're currently learning about theorists...</span>

The Right to Play

The Bernard van Leer Foundation (see previous post for details)has just published the latest edition in its Early Childhood in Focus series. The new publication is entitled The Right to Play, and contains "short summaries of theory, research and policy issues that can inform the implementation of A…

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Investing in Our Future

A common theme of research reports on early years education is the impact that such programmes have on the child in later life. Now another study can be added to the literature in this area - <a href="http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/Evidence%20Base%20on%20Preschool%20Education%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Investing in our Future: the Evidence Base on PreSchool Education</i></a> is a new report from the USA, published by the <a href="http://www.srcd.org/" target="_blank">Society for Research in Child Development</a>. If you find this latest report useful, then there are a number of similar publications freely available on their website.

Investing in Our Future

A common theme of research reports on early years education is the impact that such programmes have on the child in later life. Now another study can be added to the literature in this area - Investing in our Future: the Evidence Base on PreSchool Education is a new report from the USA, published by…

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Early Years Foundation Stage Handbook 2014

The DfE has just published the latest version of the <i>Early Years Foundation Stage Handbook</i>. This is designed to support early years practitioners in making accurate judgements about each child's attainment, so is very much a 'hands on' sort of document. Click on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-handbook-2014" target="_blank">this link</a> to be able to access the handbook, as well as finding links to various supporting materials.

Early Years Foundation Stage Handbook 2014

The DfE has just published the latest version of the Early Years Foundation Stage Handbook. This is designed to support early years practitioners in making accurate judgements about each child's attainment, so is very much a 'hands on' sort of document. Click on this link to be able to access the ha…

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Ofsted Social Care Annual Report

Today sees the publication of Ofsted's first <i>Social Care Annual Report</i>. The report has already made headlines for concluding that child protection is inadequate in many councils, with only one in four scoring a 'good' rating for their safeguarding services. You can read a summary of the main points in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/oct/15/child-protection-inadequate-ofsted-report" target="_blank">this <i>Guardian</i> article</a> or in <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-24533502" target="_blank">this BBC article</a>.<br /><br />To read the full text of the report, <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/social-care-annual-report-201213" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Ofsted Social Care Annual Report

Today sees the publication of Ofsted's first Social Care Annual Report. The report has already made headlines for concluding that child protection is inadequate in many councils, with only one in four scoring a 'good' rating for their safeguarding services. You can read a summary of the main points …

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Free Research Seminar

I don't usually promote training events on this site, but this one's free and local so... On Tuesday 5th November the <a href="http://www.crec.co.uk/" target="_blank">Centre for Research in Early Childhood</a> (CREC) is holding a half-day seminar on Participatory Research Methods in Early Childhood. More information and booking details are <a href="http://participatoryresearchmethods-rss.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank">available here</a>.

Free Research Seminar

I don't usually promote training events on this site, but this one's free and local so... On Tuesday 5th November the Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC) is holding a half-day seminar on Participatory Research Methods in Early Childhood. More information and booking details are available h…

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Early Years / Education Blogs

A few years ago I did a mini-research project about Web 2.0 with our undergraduate students. One of the questions on the survey was "Do you find your subject blog [that's this site!] useful?" I was delighted that almost every student answered 'yes'. But then the next question asked "Do you read other blogs?", and almost every student replied 'no'. When I spoke to a few of the respondents about this, the general response was essentially 'most blogs aren't up to much.' Whether you agree with that statement or not, it seems a shame to dismiss so many websites so easily - a few years ago the <a href="http://technorati.com/" target="_blank">Technorati</a> website used to have a tagline which read "55 million blogs, some of them MUST be good."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBGPHUs2OOA87V6equ_WKz8BpOgS1cxKFQ_W0wDtxdCWnrQSrH6GujFvR3Y0fbSbYNaSQTrq0xEXm1APMIaYTY2zizR1i6Q8ZF37r5f63_TtYdk7tX_kApzTRQqxBK2s4ezbO2FobjQ/s1600/Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBGPHUs2OOA87V6equ_WKz8BpOgS1cxKFQ_W0wDtxdCWnrQSrH6GujFvR3Y0fbSbYNaSQTrq0xEXm1APMIaYTY2zizR1i6Q8ZF37r5f63_TtYdk7tX_kApzTRQqxBK2s4ezbO2FobjQ/s200/Blog.jpg" title="" width="200" /></a>So today's post contains some links to a selection of early years / education blogs that I think are worth looking at, and they come in all shapes and sizes. One of the best things about having a blogging space is that its content is only limited by your imagination. So while some of the sites here are full of personal opinions, others take a more detached view of professional issues; some are quite academic in tone, while others are more light-hearted; some provide practical advice and tips for practitioners, others document class activities for parents and other family members. And if you run out of inspiration, you can always invite someone else to write a guest blog on your site. If you can think of a topic, there's probably a blog for it!<br /><br />The list below is really only a tiny snapshot of the useful blogs out there, but should give you a flavour of the sort of information that's available. So without further ado:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/childrens-services-blog/" target="_blank"><i>Children's Services Blog</i></a> - information on social care, children and families from Community Care<br /><i><a href="http://www.rosendale.cc/?page_id=15" target="_blank">Class Blogs at Rosendale Primary School</a></i> - documenting learning through blog posts<br /><a href="http://www.earlylearninghq.org.uk/blog/" target="_blank"><i>The ELHQ Blog</i></a> - teaching resources and practical advice articles<br /><a href="http://suecowley.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><i>Freeing the Angel</i></a> - personal reflections on education and classroom issues <br /><a href="http://thefullmontessori.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Full Montessori</i></a> - personal reflections and practical information on Montessori education<br /><a href="http://mr-shrek.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><i>Identity Crisis? No, I'm a Nursery Teacher!</i></a> - reflections on classroom activities<br /><a href="http://juliangrenier.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><i>Inside the Secret Garden</i></a> - discussion of various early childhood and care issues<br /><a href="http://www.kathybrodie.com/" target="_blank"><i>Kathy Brodie</i></a> - personal and professional reflections on various early years issues<br /><a href="http://laurachildcare.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><i>LauraChildcare</i></a> -  personal and professional reflections on various early years issues<br /><a href="http://nosuchthingasbadweather.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><i>Learning for Life</i></a> - reflections and photos of creative play activities<br /><a href="http://www.leyf.org.uk/blog/" target="_blank"><i>London Early Years Foundation Blog</i></a> - personal and professional reflections on various early years issues<br /><a href="http://newteachersblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><i>New Teacher's Blog</i></a> - reflections on teacher professionalism <br /><a href="http://rethinkingchildhood.com/" target="_blank"><i>Rethinking Childhood</i></a> - thoughts on outdoor play / education and risk in early childhood<br /><a href="http://technologyinearlychildhood.com/" target="_blank"><i>Technology in Early Childhood</i></a> - using technology in kindergarten and preschool classrooms<br /><a href="http://tracyseed.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><i>Tracy Seed</i></a> - personal and professional thoughts on training and development in education and early years<br /><br />If all this gets you interested in starting your own blog, from my experience there's a couple of things you should bear in mind. First of all, ask yourself what you want to achieve with it - if you just start a blog because you feel you ought to, you're not likely to keep it up for long, and there's no 'hook' to keep readers coming back for more. Also, remember to post often - again, if you're not providing a regular stream of new material, there's little reason for people to visit your site regularly.<br /><br />Finally, if you know of a really excellent early childhood / education blog, please share it with other readers of this site by leaving a comment below (Rule Number 3 of blogging - only a fraction of site visitors ever leave comments!). I'd love to get a good response so that I can put together a further list of great blogs for a future post on here.

Early Years / Education Blogs

A few years ago I did a mini-research project about Web 2.0 with our undergraduate students. One of the questions on the survey was "Do you find your subject blog [that's this site!] useful?" I was delighted that almost every student answered 'yes'. But then the next question asked "Do you read othe…

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Too Young to Fail

A new report from <a href="http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/" target="_blank">Save the Children</a> examines how children from low-income families can be affected by falling behind in school from a young age. <i>Too Young to Fail</i> argues that children who struggle to read, write or calculate by the age of seven are <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/oct/08/poor-children-chances-primary-school-report" target="_blank">much more likely to fail to get five good GCSEs</a>.<br /><br />You can read the full text of the report by <a href="http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/Too_Young_to_Fail_0.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Too Young to Fail

A new report from Save the Children examines how children from low-income families can be affected by falling behind in school from a young age. Too Young to Fail argues that children who struggle to read, write or calculate by the age of seven are much more likely to fail to get five good GCSEs.You…

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1940s Childhood

3 videos for the price of one today... Below are some film clips from the <a href="http://film.britishcouncil.org/british-council-film-collection/about-the-collection" target="_blank">British Council Film Collection</a>, each depicting different aspects of children's lives in the 1940s. If you enjoy these, there are plenty of similar clips on this site - just click on the 'Educational Films' link in the Hot Topics menu on the right of the page. You may also be interested in a previous post entitled <a href="http://bcftcschildhoodeducation.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/historical-childhoods.html" target="_blank">Historical Childhoods</a>.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/45868330" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/45868330">Child's Play - Life in the 1940s</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user10739281">British Council Film</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/52555811" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/52555811">A 1940s Childhood - In Wartime</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user10739281">British Council Film</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/52552461" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/52552461">A 1940s Childhood - In Peacetime</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user10739281">British Council Film</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.

1940s Childhood

3 videos for the price of one today... Below are some film clips from the British Council Film Collection, each depicting different aspects of children's lives in the 1940s. If you enjoy these, there are plenty of similar clips on this site - just click on the 'Educational Films' link in the Hot Top…

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